Why Casinos Sent Let It Ride Packing
As an avid table game fan, I was surprised when Let It Ride started disappearing from casinos in the early 2000s after enjoying immense popularity. It seemed everyone was playing it in the 90s! So what happened? After crunching the numbers and researching the history, the reasons become clear…
The Let It Ride Phenomenon
When it debuted in 1993, Let It Ride took the casino world by storm. The creator struck a genius blend of poker strategy, big payout potential, and simple rules that hooked recreational gamers. Unlike many early poker variants, multiple players could take on the house at once rather than head-to-head play.
With an exciting communal vibe and bets that stayed in action over multiple rounds, it created a high energy environment with players cheering and consoling together. At its peak, cheering crowds surrounded Let It Ride tables – it was the hottest action in town! Players loved being able to control payouts by pulling back bets, and the 3-card bonus side bet added extra spice.
The Fall from Grace
But by the early 2000s, the crowds and energy had faded away. Let It Ride tables featured bored dealers and sparse players mostly chatting to kill time. How did it go from being the star table game to a ghost town so rapidly?
Patent Protection Expired
A key factor was the game’s patent expiring in 2000. This allowed competitors to legally create very similar derivatives without paying royalties. With less exclusivity perks, casinos had more incentive to promote their own branded poker games or strike deals with hot new game creators.
House Edge Margin Pressure
Though once able to drive profits purely from popularity, Let It Ride suffered from middling house edge margins. As seen in Table 1 below, its ~3.5% edge lags well behind baccarat, blackjack, and the rising stars of 3 Card Poker and Caribbean Stud. With tables only able to seat 7 players, lower per-hand profits couldn’t sustain the high demand for space.
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| Game | Typical House Edge % |
|---|---|
| Baccarat | 1.06% |
| Blackjack | 0.5% |
| Let It Ride | 3.51% |
| Three Card Poker | 3.37% |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | 5.22% |
Table 1: Let It Ride House Edge vs Other Table Games
With lower per-bet profits than competitors, each Let It Ride spot represented money left on the table. This especially stung when hot new games emerged.
New Sheriffs in Town
The early 2000s brought a permanent reshaping of the specialty table game scene. While Let It Ride faded, headline grabbers like Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and Mississippi Stud rose to prominence.
These games optimized the dealer vs. players format at 6-7 player capacity and with more favorable house edges. Caribbean Stud especially stood out for its 5%+ edge, and the bonus jackpot side bet that tantalized players. Compared side-by-side, casino executives chose to promote these new titles rather than trying to revive interest in Let It Ride.
Outpaced by the new generation of specialty poker in both profitability and buzz, Let It Ride‘s glaring table real estate couldn’t be justified anymore.
Attempts to Resuscitate
Game creators Shuffle Master did try to breathe new life into Let It Ride over the years. One strategy saw it rolled into the popular Ultimate Texas Hold’em game as a bonus side bet. But with players already juggling base bets and progressive jackpots, it felt tacked on.
Shuffle Master also experimented with electronic table game (ETG) versions that allowed single players to enjoy Let It Ride on video terminals. But it turns out the communal aspect was a core differentiator, rather than strategic depth seen in poker mainstays. Without a crowd to play off, the energy fizzled out.
Most recently, slots developer Galaxy Gaming created a Let It Ride add-on bonus for slot machines. These are mild successes, tapping some nostalgia from older players. But they haven’t resurrected standalone table demand.
Overall these attempts failed because the specialty table scene had already passed Let It Ride by. At best they sparked some nostalgia, but players moved on to shinier objects.
Could Let It Ride Return?
I’d speculate the chances are very slim we see a Let It Ride comeback. Game evolution doesn’t stand still, and modern players expect electrifying visuals, progressive jackpots, and regular new titles. Simply refreshing dated graphic designs likely wouldn’t motivate players or casino executives.
Table games also face ever-growing competition from slots. And slots innovation absolutely explodes, with hundreds of immersive, creative new games released annually. Let It Ride’s rather generic western visual motif can’t compete with vivid pop culture and cinematic branded slots.
Yet in game design we say “never say never”. A genius reboot invigorating the communal aspect and payout control could spark interest. But game studios focus innovation investment on higher potential segments like online slots and poker. Bringing back yesteryear nostalgia favorites distracts from that initiative.
For now, Let It Ride remains an artifact many gamers fondly remember. But similar to aging music bands, retro appeal only sustains so far. Newer, louder competition playing more in tune with modern players drowned it out. Perhaps we’ll see a boutique attempt to honor its legacy someday. But the game’s time under the neon lights has likely passed.
